Art of conditioning printed paper.



Evil

UDUT hTATES PANT @JFFIGE PETER AITCHISON, 015 NEW ROCHELLE,- NE'W YURK, ASSIGNOE, 'lQ AMERICAN BANK NO'EE CDMPM, @JF NEW YUEK, N. Y., 1d. 'CGEPOMTL'ION 0F NEW "WEEK.

0E @QNIDITJIQNKNG PRINTED PAIFEE.

Ho Drawing.

Fermented (Gust, 2'3, 1914i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, Pm'nn Aircnieon, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Conditioning Printed Paper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of conditioning printed paper, and more particularly to paper which has been dampened previous to receiving the impression thereon.

In printing upon paper by the planegraphic'or undersurface printing methods, it is usually necessary todampen-the pa er before running it through the press. h en prints are made in two or more colors, or each sheet is printed upon both sides, it is the general custom to dampen the paper prior to the taking of each impression. which is made necessary by the drying of the paper, or its partial drying, between runs, and the resultant shrinkage which would result in a loss of register. In addition to the repeated dampening of the paper, it is necessary after each sheet is completely printed, to refinish the paper in a manner to obliterate those inequalities due: to its shrinkage after being so dampencdr The usual treatment of the paper during.

printing also includes the insertion of sheets otordinary dry tissue paper between each sheet as it leaves the press, and the succeed-- ling printed sheet, to avoid ofisetting from.

one to the other. In actual practice the tissue sheets receive any offset which oc-.

curs and in addition to the liability of slightly defacing an imprint, this paper tends to absorb moisture from the printed sheet and thus aggravate those other conditions eliminating moisture which necessitate ,redam mg. 0

Wit 1 these conditions in mind, the malnobject of my invention is to provide an art of conditioning pa r after it has been printed. by which 0 setting of any description will be minimized and the moisture in thepaper will be retained in suficient volume to admit of a plurality of impressions being made without necessitating the redamping of the paper during the completion of the printing thereon.

. -A further object is to so treat the paper as to permit the addition of moisture thereto, or its difiusion therethrough, if desired,

between runs.

A still further object is to provide an art pf conditioning paper whereby after an im-. pression has been made therefrom, each sheet of paper will have the atmospheric air excluded therefrom in large measure to prevent evaporation of the damping fluid, and avoid the necessity for redampin'g. And a still further object is to provide an art whereby after the final run of each sheet, the sheets may be accumulated and a large number thereof refinished without likelihood of ofisetting and by the mere application-of sufiicient pressure to insure a pert'ect flattening of each sheet.

The invention consists primarily in an art of conditioning printed paper, including therein the bringing of an insert sheet of material coated with a substance having ino afinity for the oily or greasy vehicle of the ink and renderingsaid material impenetrable to atmosphere and substantially noniabsorbent, in contact with the printed surface of sheets of dampened paper; and insuch other novel methods as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularlyggointed out in the claims hereto append In the practice of my invention, sheets of previously dampened paper-are run through a planographic or engraving printing press in the usual manner, receiving an imprint with ink having a: greasy or an oily vehicle. As each sheet of printed pa er is delivered from the press, the surface 0 the paper-having-theimprint of trash ink thereon is covered with a sheet of paper or other flexible material coated with a non fluid substance, insoluble bythe damping fluid or the vehicle of the ink, such as Ceresine Wax, Japan wax, parafiin war, or other analogous material having no aliinity for the greasy or oily vehicle ofthe ink'with which the sheet contacts. Hence there is no tendency of the impression toofiset upon this insert sheet, andthe likelihoodof the smutting or blurring of the imprint in spom is avoided. Furthermore, the coating upon this insert shwt will close the pores thereof in a manner to make it impenetrable to atmos here and thus prevent evaporation ot the amping fluid with which the sheet of paper is impregnated. Sucmive sheets are brought into a ile including an insert sheet for each printed sheet. This ile of sheets by reason of the exclusion of t e air. from the greaterportion thereof," may be held for several days without becoming sufficiently dry to prevent the making of a perfect imprint thereon without redam ing, and as the surfacing' of the insert 5 eets is insoluble -by the damping fluid or the vehicle of the ink,

1] larlyconditioned as the e ect of each insert sheet is limited to the surface of the sheets contacting therewith. After being piled in the manner described, the sheets must be maintained at a temperature below the melting point of the coating material.

I ave discovered by the actual practice of the invention, that when sheets are not sufiiciently damp after any run, the use of insert sheets of the character above referred to, which have themselvw been slightly moistened, will restore the desired mellow condition to the printed sheets, and distribute the added moisture uniformly throughout the printed sheets. After the final run of each sheet, a pile of such sheets are accumulated, a sheet of presser board coated with the same material as the sheets used after eachprecedin run being inserted between the printed s eets. The pile is then subjected to heavy pressure for a suflicient period to insure the elimination of all irregularities in the surface of the printed sheets.

By using coated presser board, a smooth surface is secured, the moisture from, the printed sheets not entering these boards and the pores thereof being so closed by the wax coating as to present a smooth surface and thus prevent the transfer of the design of the texture of the presser board to the fin ishedsheet of paper. Furthermore, oil-setting upon the presser boards is prevented.

In actual practice, I prefer to use insert sheets of dimensions greater than those of the printed sheets, so as to mrmit the former to overlap the latter andthus protect the edges thereof from atmosphere.

By the practice of my improved art, l not only am enabled to make several runs on a sheet of dampened papen without redamping it, but I am enabled tomake successive runs wi thout those delays incidental to such drying ofthe ink as is necessary reparatpry to the redamping process. With hand dampened paper, forty-eight hours are fremaniac quently required to properly condition or mellow the paper, and as cloths are used which are capable of absorbin the ink, great care must be exercised and urther delays frequently result. Hence I am not only enabled to avoid the expense and other undesirable incidents resulting from the redamping of the paper, but am enabled to make another run as soon, as the ink of the preceding impression is sufliciently dry not to smut in handling in the press.

The insolubility of the coating insert sheets by the damping 'flmd or the vehicle of the ink, prevents any of the coating material entering the fiber of the paper, or combining with the ink of the impression, in a manner to interfere with the taking of an im rint, or the ofi'setting of an impression a ady made.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1. An art of conditioningprinted paper including therein the bringin of an insert sheet of material coated wit .a substance having no afiinity for the oily or asy vehicle of the ink, and rendering sai material im enetrable to atmosphere and substantia ly non-absorbent, in contact with the printed surface of a sheet of dampened paper upon delivery from the pre and allowmg said sheet and said jinsertato' stand'until required for another run of the press whereby the ink on saidpaper is prevented from ofl'-setting upon said insert sheets and the moisture is retained in said paper and is difiused throu hout same.

2. An art 0 conditioning printed paper including therein the piling of freshly prmte ed, dampened sheets of paper with" insert sheets contacting with the printed surface'of each sheet, said insert sheets being coated with a substance havin no afinity for the oily or greasy vehicle 0 the ink and rendering them impenetrable to atmosphere and substantially non-absorbent and allowing said sheet and said insert tostand until reuired for another run of the pres whereby t e ink on said paper is prevented from oilsetting upon said insert sheets and the moisture i retained in saidpaper and is difi'used throu hout same.

3. 11 art of conditioning printed paper including therein the piling of freshly rmted, dampened sheets of paper alternate with insert sheets coated with, a substance havin no aflinity for the oily or greasy vehicle 0 the ink and rendering them impenetrable to atmosphere and substantially non-absorbent and allowing said sheet and said insert to stand until required for another run of the press whereby the ink on said paper is prevented from ofi-setting upon said insert sheets and the moisture is retained in said paper and isdiflused throughout same.

of the v 4. An art-of conditioning printed paper including therein the piling of freshly printed, dampened sheets of paper with insert sheets 'contactin of each sheet, said insert sheets being coated with a substance havin no aflinity for the oily or greasy vehicle 0 the ink and renderin them impenetrable to atmosphere and en stantially non-absorbent, each saidv insert sheet being dampened before being used and allowing said sheet and said insert to stand until required for another run of the press whereby the ink on said paper is revented from ofl'-setting upon said insert s cats and the moisture is retained in said paper and is diffused throughout same.

5. An art of conditioning printed paper including therein the bringm of an lnsert sheet of material coated vwit having no afiinity for the oily or greasy vehicle of the ink, and rendering said material impenetrable to atmosphere and substantially non-absorbent, in contact with the printed surface of a sheet of dampened paper upon delivery from the press after all runs excepting the last, piling such printed sheets after the final run with alternate sheets of presser board coated with a'sub stance having no aifinity for the oily or a substance.

greasy vehicle of the ink, and rendering them impenetrable to atmos here and substantially non-absorbent, an subjecting the with the printed surface pile to continued pressure, whereby the surface of all printed sheetstherein is finished.

6. An art of conditioning printed paper including therein the bringing of an insert sheet of material havin a coating of a wax having no ,aflinityfor t e oily or greasy vehicle of the ink, and rendering said material impenetrable to atmosphere and substantially non-absorbent, into contact with the freshly printed surface of a sheet of dampened paper, and allowing said sheet and said insert to stand at a temperature below the melting point of the wax until required for another run of the press whereby the ink on said paper is prevented from off-setting upon said insert sheets and the moisture is retained in said paper and is difiused throughout same.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 31 day of January, 1913.

. PETER AITCHISON. Witnesses:

WALTER C. MAJOR, Anonrn W. GRASS. 

